Measuring reliability of effort in functional capacity evaluations using digital video analysis.

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Biomechanics
• Rehabilitation science

Background:

• Functional capacity evaluations (FCEs) are crucial for assessing workers' physical job capabilities.
• FCEs inform decisions on workplace accommodations, vocational rehabilitation, disability, and legal cases.
• Ensuring objectivity, reliability, and validity in FCEs is paramount, with effort consistency being a key factor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate determinants within FCEs that indicate the level of effort exerted by individuals.
• To assess the effectiveness of computerized video movement analysis in detecting effort consistency during FCE tasks.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-five healthy adults participated in the study.
• Computerized video movement analysis was employed to examine lifting (floor-to-waist, waist-to-overhead) and squatting activities.
• Six factors from video analysis were correlated with the distinction between maximal and sub-maximal efforts.

Main Results:

• Terminal acceleration, mean velocity, and peak velocity showed consistent and significant correlations with effort consistency across all tested FCE activities.
• Computerized video analysis successfully identified factors associated with effort consistency.

Conclusions:

• Computerized analysis of video-recorded FCEs is a viable method for assessing effort consistency.
• This technology can enhance the objectivity and reliability of FCEs, supporting informed decision-making.